High Hematocrit Before TRT

[jws1300]

Looking at past bloodwork, my hematocrit has always ran a bit high: (THIS IS PRIOR TO TRT)
May 2015 = 48
Feb 2017 = 48
Oct 2017 = 50
July 2018 = 51
Aug 2018 = Started TRT

I am now going on week 7 of TRT. I have NOT had a CBC since starting TRT at 100mg/wk Tcyp, but will find out in another couple weeks. I'm expecting that my HCT is higher than the July 2018 test and that concerns me. Its making me want to ask the doctor for a CBC even though he said wait 90 days.

Ive had some forehead pressure for a few years, pressure behind the eyes, and like a band around my head feeling that I have attributed to anxiety or posture (computer work) - but, i'm starting to wonder if some of the dizzyness and forehead pressure isnt actually a symptom of higher hematocrit? Some days I can feel decent, others I feel like garbage so with HCT not something that should fluctuate rapidly, I didn't ever think it could be the cuplrit.

After looking through the forums here and reading up on things, it sounds like maybe a bit elevated HCT isnt all that bad, while others say ANYTHING over 50 I need to donate. Crisler I saw says 55 is limit, Campbell's book shows 53, Nelsons chart shows 52, Saya seems to not like the 52 and over range.

NCBI Website: The normal hematocrit for men is 40 to 54%; for women it is 36 to 48%.

I wont change anything until my next CBC to see what HCT is at. What i'm considering at this point is reducing from 100mg/week to 80mg/week to see how I feel. I dislike grapefruit but i can stomach it if it helps (seeing mixed reviews) and never been a water drinker but I have been lately.

This all assumes that my HCT is actually increasing since starting TRT...






___________________________________________
100mg Tcyp Weekly Thigh Injection
Peak TT = 838
Trough TT = 600
40yr Old
Dont drink enough water
Decent diet
A lot of activity outside but not "cardio" or lifting

 

[jws1300]

Just saw this by Dr Crisler:

"My old pal Dr. Neal Rouzier gave a lecture last year that completely dispelled this notion. He showed, in fact, there is not one single case of elevated H/H from TRT causing a heart attack or stroke.

The levels rise from ERYTHROCYTOSIS--a normal process--not "Polycythemia", which is a very dangerous medical condition. The erythrocytosis caused by TRT stimulating RBC production does not also cause an increase in platelets. It is the platelets which cause blood to clot.

The H/H rises we see with TRT basically match everyone who lives in Vale, CO. We are not sending them all for therapeutic phlebotomies. Or even those with sleep apnea, or COPD.

But years of experience has taught me some guys just don't feel as good when their blood gets thicker. If you feel that way, by all means go down and donate.

...just make sure to follow your Ferritin level, so important Iron is not depleted too much. That would have deleterious effects all over the body.

It appears TRT causes a subsequent increase in NO, and that relaxes the arteries. In plumber's terms, if the fluid gets thicker, making the pipe larger evens things out. "

 

[fifty]

Drink more water. It makes a difference

 

[blackebob]

Drink more water. It makes a difference

I drink so much water I have a treble hook hanging out of my ass.

 

[carkrazy]

I drink so much water I have a treble hook hanging out of my ass.

LMAO!

 

[Vince Carter]

 

[DragonBits]

Doesn't a higher hematocrit improve your athletic aerobic capacity and VO2 max?

 

[Pongo]

Hematocrit is a harder juggling act than E2 in my experience. I gave blood 3 times in 9 months to get mine down from 53 to 48 but it crashed my ferritin & Iron levels. I now give blood once every 6 months & take Grapeseed extract GSE & that keeps my ferritin & Iron good & HCT under 50.

 

[Renman23]

So is flushed feeling, and hot flashing a sign of high hematocrit?

 

[MarkM]

When my hematocrit is high I looked flushed and almost like a light sunburn but I don't get the flushed feeling like taking niacin or any type of hot flash. Just a flushed look.

 

[Renman23]

When my hematocrit is high I looked flushed and almost like a light sunburn but I don't get the flushed feeling like taking niacin or any type of hot flash. Just a flushed look.

Well, I'm a dark skinned black man...... that test wont work for me... LOL
But thanks for the feedback. I'm just trying to figure if my own E2 is high.

Thanks!

 

[madman]

Doesn't a higher hematocrit improve your athletic aerobic capacity and VO2 max?

Up to a point yes.....than the opposite!

 

[DragonBits]

Up to a point yes.....than the opposite!

Thanks, I was starting to wonder about HCT as I had read about athletes blood doping to increase hematocrit.

I am fairly sure you can say "up to a point" about just about everything. Like water intoxication, drinking too much water in a short period of time can kill you.

 

[Vince Carter]

It's RBC...for athletic performance, not HCT; blood doping.

 

[Deleted member 16042]

The H/H rises we see with TRT basically match everyone who lives in Vale, CO. We are not sending them all for therapeutic phlebotomies.

I'm sorry I see the altitude rationale as utter BS. I live 1000 ft higher than Vail CO, and my baseline HCT for my adult life until TRT has been 47-48. The only regular very slight elevation for both me and my wife has been MCV and MCH. When I went on 150mg T cyp/week divided into E3D doses HCT went to 52.5 and I was seriously symptomatic including elevated systolic BP by over 10 points. Reducing T dosage has brought HCT back to baseline.

 

[DragonBits]

It's RBC...for athletic performance, not HCT; blood doping.

Thank you for that rationalization. You should run for political office.

The hematocrit is the proportion, by volume, of the blood that consists of red blood cells. The hematocrit (hct) is expressed as a percentage. For example, a hematocrit of 25% means that there are 25 milliliters of red blood cells in 100 milliliters of blood.

 

[MarkM]

......... HCT went to 52.5 and I was seriously symptomatic including elevated systolic BP by over 10 points. Reducing T dosage has brought HCT back to baseline.

My hematocrit is averaging between 52% and 53%. I always believed that elevated hematocrit translated into elevated BP but never really looked at in detail until recently. I felt like my BP was getting higher, especially when I would go to the doctor. Doctor's office always told me it was the "white coat syndrome". But it was concerning to me

So I purchased a blood pressure monitoring device to start watching it. I take it each morning and each evening and track the results on a spreadsheet. For some reason I am seeing a drop in both systolic and diastolic readings. The only thing I am doing differently the past few months is increase my daily Pregnenolone dose, and I just recently went to ED injections verse E3.5D. Neither of those factors seem to decrease BP.

July 133/78
August 122/67
September 112/62

Since July, systolic has dropped 21 points or 15.8% and diastolic has dropped 16 points or 20.5%. My hematocrit has not drooped yet but I am hoping it falls due to moving to an ED injection protocol.